


I Do It Your Way, This Way, That Way, Goodbye Baby

by Artemisia (moonflowercrown)



Series: Derry Girls Emo Moments [1]
Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: Gen, Michelle has feelings for once, Mild Hurt/Comfort, and her irresponsibility catches up to her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26752567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonflowercrown/pseuds/Artemisia
Summary: Michelle runs into a problem she can't ignore, and decides to tell James about it. (A drabble I wrote based off of one of my various daydreams. I probably won't follow up on it any time soon, but I'm sure I'm not the first person who's done this idea either, so it's not to too much of a loss.)
Relationships: James Maguire & Michelle Mallon
Series: Derry Girls Emo Moments [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969699
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	I Do It Your Way, This Way, That Way, Goodbye Baby

A usual morning for James and Michelle, the kitchen quiet and empty, as was the rest of the house. Both of Michelle's parents were at work, leaving the two cousins to sort themselves out, as they usually did this time of week. James was on his own, however, as Michelle delayed coming down. This was beginning to bother him - she never delayed like this, not for this long anyway. Recalling how off she'd seemed as of recent, he felt a little worried, but neglected to pursue it, as he didn't feel like being shouted at.  
Meanwhile, Michelle was perched at the edge of her bed, mouth dry and eyes wet. She'd woken up in a sickened dizzy spell, as she had for a few mornings now. A terrible possibility had been stirring in her mind and she had been trying to ignore it for a while. Though, she eventually caved into her suspicions, and shoplifted a couple of tests. She should've figured it out the day she realised her period was late, but she just didn't want to believe it. Not quite remembering what happened, but still knowing the exact day and where she was and almost who it was, too, it was everything Clare had fretted about. In a rare reflective moment, she knew she should have listened. She was irresponsible and now everything was threatening to collapse.  
What was she gonna do? She can't stay in this room forever. Ignoring it won't make it go away. Who would she go to? Not her mother, not now at least, not on her own. Should she just drop it on the group, a random bombshell to throw off their day? She wasn't sure she could handle that. She had to take that first step, she knew that for sure, but in which direction? A small crash from downstairs reached her ears, which brought her out of her trance for a second.

James.

  
The soft-spoken, annoying English boy had, she decided, made her life worse by being just being there. Was it really true though? He irritated her in all sorts of ways, but he was one of the group now. She had said that. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she trusted him. She pondered his reaction - he wouldn't yell at her, that's for sure. Maybe he'd be confused - he was a bit dense - but if she got straight to the point then that would be fixed. He'd keep it a secret if she asked him to; they already shared a few, though less serious ones. The more she thought about it, the less scary it seemed. Rushing on her uniform, she decided she'd go down and tell him, then and there.

Downstairs, James was almost about to go up and check on Michelle, but hearing movement, he stayed where he was, relieved she was up. He really had nothing to do; he supposed that was a downside of getting up so early every day, but the possibility of running out of time to get ready in the morning still weighed on him somewhat. He liked to at least try to be organised. Just as he was going to turn back to the sink, Michelle stumbled through the kitchen doorway, looking rather dishevelled, her eyes red and still a little wet, and she seemed paler than usual. James furrowed his brows in concern, about to tell her if she was ill, she could just go back to bed, but she leant on the other counter and cleared her throat to speak.

"I'm pregnant."

The silence was overwhelmingly loud, it was like a shockwave went over the whole room the second she said it. She stared across the kitchen, refusing to make eye contact, James' face shifting from concern to surprise. He was unable to speak, and it didn't take long for it to become too much for Michelle, and she started talking again, attempting to explain everything, rambling to fill the silence.

"It was just... it was at that party I snuck off to a while ago, the one Clare yelled at me about, the one y-you tried to stop me going to and I got there and it was fine and there was this bloke and I was drunk and we went off somewhere and- and-" she was trailing off, trying to keep speaking, trying to fill the silence, desperately grasping for things to say, and then her feelings started pouring out instead. "I don't know what to do about it, I didn't know who else to tell, I couldn't just slink off into the night, I-I don't wanna end up like Cathy-" She could barely stop herself from saying that last part and she let the quiet flood the room again. At last, she hazarded a glance at James, who seemed to be mixed between worried and plain sad.

In his head, James was demanding he say something, but he couldn't think of the right words. Nothing he could think of sounded right, or genuine, or appropriate. And then the last bit. _I don't wanna end up like Cathy_. He knew she thought she crossed a line, saying that, but ever since that day she tried to drag him away from Derry, his new home... his new family, he'd spent many restless nights, quiet bus rides and dead Friday classes reflecting on it. Her brief return had really solidified how distant she was to him, how she changed in front of people, how she left him grovelling for her affection when everyone else was given it so freely. That phrase had given him new resolve, and words flowed freely from his mouth.

"You're not gonna end up like her."

Michelle looked at him, almost in shock, as he approached her, standing next to her against the counter.

"My mum was on her own. She dug herself into a hole and took me with her, and you're not gonna do the same thing. You have people around you who are gonna help you. I will, and Clare will, and Erin and Orla will. We'll figure out what to do." James looked at her in earnest after his shaky little speech, trying to read her face. It took only a few seconds, but it felt much longer, for her to process his words.

  
We _will_ figure out what to do.

  
Almost melting, Michelle hugged James, who gently reciprocated, letting her stay like that for as long as she wanted. Eventually she pulled away, looking up at him with her usual look, and the last tension melted away. He smiled back, heading towards the door.

"Sort yourself out, feed yourself, and for crying out loud, drink something. I'll do everything else."

She rolled her eyes in response, still smiling. Things seemed a lot lighter now.

**Author's Note:**

> I nabbed the title from Two Sided Lovers by wowaka, but the working title was "how is pragnent formed", because I'm hilarious.


End file.
